Distance Education Resource Center

Shaw University provides courses in four modalities: face-to-face, online, hybrid, and via video-teleconferencing. Distance Education can be more convenient, effective, and rewarding than traditional face-to-face classes, but convenience doesn't mean it's easier. Success in Distance Education requires being proactive in your studies and taking responsibility for your own learning. Find out if Distance Education is right for you by completing a brief self-inventory.

Online

An online course does not have scheduled on campus class meetings. It is an integrated learning program entirely accessed via a computer with an internet connection, except for proctored exams, if required. Shaw University uses Moodle as its course management system.

Hybrid/Blended

A blended (hybrid) course is taught partly in the classroom and partly online. Blended courses allow the student to benefit from both methods of teaching: online and face-to-face.

Students will be required to attend a certain number of on-campus class meetings. In addition, some of the required meetings will be held online. The online portion of the class allows students to attend "virtual" classrooms via the Internet.

Video Teleconferencing (VTC)

Videoconferencing uses telecommunications of audio and video to bring people at different sites together for a meeting. This can be as simple as a conversation between two people in private offices (point-to-point) or involve several sites (multi-point) with more than one person in large rooms at different sites. Besides the audio and visual transmission of meeting activities, videoconferencing can be used to share documents, computer-displayed information, and whiteboards.

Shaw Bears Distance Education Network (DEN)

The mission of the Shaw Bears Distance Education Network (DEN) is to ensure the integrity, rigor, and equality in all courses utilizing online, video-teleconference, and hybrid learning environments. In establishing this network, the Office of Educational Technology aims to support Shaw University’s goal to increase student enrollment, retention, and satisfaction in distance education courses by

Ensuring compliance of online and hybrid/blended courses in each department

Facilitating ongoing communication about the Office of Educational Technology and Distance Education

Providing training and resources in order to enable faculty to meet the standards and performance indicators set by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), to effectively integrate and implement new technologies into their courses, and to enhance their technological and pedagogical skills

Supporting students' skill development in order to develop effective learners in distance education courses, to increase their achievement in learning outcomes, and to meet the ISTE standards for students

Shaw University complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence) in all educational programs and activities. For more information, visit the Title IX webpage.